Mute



C. SPIVAK May 4,'1943.

MUTE

Filed Feb. 17., 1942 Charle Spivak INVENTOR BYv ATTORNEY Patented May 4,1943 MUTE Charles Spivak, Englewood, N. J., assignor to Micro MusicalProducts Corp., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York ApplicationFebruary 17, 1942, Serial No. 431,187

16 Claims.

The invention relates to mutes for trumpets, trombones, cornets andother musical instruments of the wind type.

Mutes are used by musicians to qualify the sounds of their instruments.The main purpose of a mute is to muilie the sound.

An object of the present invention is to provide a mute which decreasesthe volume of sound of musical instruments in a new and ellcient manner.

Another object of the invention is to construct the mute in such waythat, apart from its damping action, it will not interfere with thetonal qualities of the sound.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mute of light weightand practical dimensions, which possesses a great muting capacity,especially on brass wind instruments.

With these and other objects in view1 as will become more apparenthereafter, my invention is described in the followingspecification andi1- lustrated, by way of example, in the accompanying drawing, in which-Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of an embodiment of my improvedmute;

'Fig 2 is a transverse sectional view on line 2-2 of F'igjl;

Fig; 3 is a perspective view of the lower end of the inner element ofthe mute;

Fig. 4 is a partial view of a modified construction according to thepresent invention.

Fig. 5 shows the mute, in operative position, as applied to the bell ofa conventional wind instrument.

In the drawing, reference numeral I denotes the end of the mute which isinserted into the bell of the instrument. Element I0 has the shape of atruncated cone although it may be given any other suitable shape. Thewide end of conical element I0 is closed by disk II to form an innerchamber. Cylindrical tube I2 is coaxially disposed in conical element I0and secured to disk Il. Tube I2 extends from a point near the narrow endof conical element I-ll to opening I3 in' disk I I. A piece of felt I4,or other sound absorbing material, is secured to disk II so as to closeopening I3. The wide end of conical element IIl projects into cover Iwhich is iikewise ci truncated cone shape, although other shapes may beused if desired. The wide end of cover I 5 is closed by face plate I 6to form an outer chamber. Element- I0 and cover I5 may be made of breboard, cardboard, wood, plastics, metal or other suitable materials.Disk Ii and face plate I6 consist of wood or some other material adaptedto vibrate. Disk II and plate I6 fulll the function of sound boards.Tube I2 which in effect forms an in between chamber may be made of woodor metal or some other suitable material. Peripheral apertures Il areprovided on cover I5. Strips I8 of a sound absorbing material, such asfelt, are disposed between cover I5 and conical element I0 so as tofully close apertures II. Side spacers I9 and end spacers 20 keepconical element I0 and cover I5 in properly spaced relation. Spacers I9,20 may be made of cork, rubber, hard felt and the like.

Each aperture I1 is iianked by two side spacers I9 to preventdeformation of cover I5. Six side spacers I9 and four end spacers 20 areshown although their numbers may be increased or decreased. Similarly,any desired number of apertures I'I may be provided. Spacers I9, 20 maybe made of cork or any other suitable material. Between strips of feltI8 and side spacers I9 channels 2I are formed which are of sucient sizeto permit ready secape of air currents.

Reenforcing ring 22, which embraces the narrow end of conical elementI0, may consist of metal for instance. Packing ring 23 is disposedadjacent to reenforcing ring 22. ,Ring 23 is intended to be brought intotight contact with bell 24 for example of a trumpetor other musicalinstrument (Fig. 5). Packing ring 23 serves to support the mute inoperative position as shown in Fig. 5. Ring 23 forms a tight seal whichforces air currents and sound to enter the mute. Air currents are thusprevented from passing to the outside between the inside wall of bell 24and the outside wall of element I0 of the mute.

A modiiication of the invention is illustrated in Fig. 4. Thisconstruction corresponds in all details to the device illustrated inFigs. 1 to 3 and 5, with the following exceptions: The cover I5' andface plate I6 are covered on their insides with lining 25 of a soundabsorbing material for instance felt. Moreover, cover I5 is solid allaround, apertures II ybeing omitted in this construction.

'I'he mute is adapted for insertion into the sound passage of bell 24 ofa musical instrument as may be seen in Fig. 5. When the instrument isplayed, the sound Waves and air currents pass through the mute and aredamped.

The outstanding results obtained by the new mute are attributed in partto the use of an inner chamber (elements I0, II), an outer chamber(elements I5, I6) and tube I2 which intercommunlcates with thesechambers and yforms an inbetween chamber. The inner chamber forms a.

real pocket, especially due to its conical shape, in which air issuingfrom the instrument will become congested and sound will be absorbed.The air cushions formed in the inner and outer charnbers also aiect thevibration of elements I I and I6. The muting action is further favorablyinfluenced by felts I4, I'I.

Thus, an effective muting action is obtained by the novel combinationandarrangement of ele-y ments andpart's as hereindescribed;v

The intensity of the damping action of the mute may be varied bylengthening or shortening tube I2; by altering the size of aperturesI'I; by varying the size of felt strips I8 and spacers I9; by the use ofheavier or lighterV felt'ild, I8). etc. These changes would merelyinvolve mat ters of design.

The action of the modied construction shown in Fig. 4 is the same asthat described above. A considerable damping effect is produced in themodified device by the sound absorbing lining 25.

I am aware of the fact that many changes may be made in the embodimentsof the invention shown and described, without departing fromtl'ie spiritand scope thereof. I therefore do not wish" to be understood as limitingmyself to the specic details of construction disclosed herein.

I claim:

1. A mute comprising a rst element forming an inner chamber, a secondelement secured to said rst element and {orming an outer cham' ber, aconduit disposed in said inner chamber and communicating with said Outerchamber, rststationary sound absorbing means associated with saidconduit to reduce the volume of sound while the same passes from theinner chamber to the outer chamber through said conduit, said outerchamber being provided with sound outlet' means, second stationary soundabsorbing means associated with said outlet means to further reduce thesound while passing through said outlet means.

2. A mute for wind instruments, comprising an element adapted to beinserted into the bell of a'wind instrument, said element forming aclosed inner member having truncated cone shape andv bein-g adaptedto beinserted into the bell of a wind instrument, said inner member beingopen at the narrow end. thereof, a disk closing the wide end of saidinner member, a cylindrical tube secured to said disk, an outer memberhaving trun-V cated cone shape, an end plate closing the wide end ofsaid outer member, the wide end of the inner member projecting into saidouter member,

saidinner and outer members being substantially co-axially disposed withrespect to each-other and said disk and end plate being disposedsubstantially plane-parallel 'to each other, "endj spacing meansdisposed between said disk and plate and sider spacing meansa'disposedbetween the Vouter wall of the inner member and the in` ner wall of theouter member, an end space be# ing thus formed between said disk' andplate, said disk being provided withv an aperture establish;

ingr communication -between the inside "of 'said' ing at the narrow endot'said inner member will be muted.`

4. The mute claimed in claim 3, in which a packing member is disposedadjacent the narrow end of said inner member, said packing member beingadapted to contact with the bell of the wind instrument and form a tightpacking in'order to prevent sound and air from bypassing'the mute, saidpacking member being also adapted to support the mute in the bell of theinstrument to be muted.

5. The mute claimed in claim 3, in which said disk consists of amaterial adapted to vibrate.

6. The mute claimed in claim 3, in which said disk and end plate consistof material adapted to vibrate.

7. A mute for wind instruments, comprising a rst element adapted to beinserted into the bell of a wind instrument, said rst element forming aclosed pocket, the latter being providedV with an opening, a. piecev ofsound absorbing material secured to said element and closingsaidyopening, a second element secured` to said first element and forming achamber withthe same,-

said pocket communicating .with said chamber.. through said opening,whereby air currents andsound entering into said .pocket will escapeinto said chamber through said opening, afterpass-v ing through saidsound absorbing material.

8. A mute for wind instruments, comprising laf rst element adapted to beinserted into .the bell of a wind instrument, saidelement forminga firstchamber provided withan opening, a second 1 element secured to saidfirst element, said second,

element forming a second chamber, the .latter surrounding theportion oi'said first chamber wherein said openingis. located, said second chamberbeing provided with an aperture, sound absorbing means associated withsaidaperture and closing same, said second chamberbeing also providedwtih an outlet` establishing direct and.

unobstructed communication between said -second chamber and theoutside.,

9. .A mute for wind instruments, comprisinga iirst` element adapted tobe inserted ,into the.. bell of a wind instrument, said elementforming..

a rst chamber, a conduit in said rstI chamber,

a Ysecond elementsecured to said .-rst. element, said second element.forming a Ysecond chamber,

said iirst chamber communicating with said. second chamber through saidconduit, rst sound absorbing means secured to .said Aconduit .andA

closing the same, said second chamber surround-l ing a portion of saidfirstV chamber andforming,`

a passageway with the same leading to theoutside, said secondchamberbeing provided with `-a plurality of apertures leading from saidpassage` from one another to form free channels therebetween and permitdirect lcommunication be tween said second chamber and the outside.

10. The device claimed in claim V9 in which said rstand second elementsare oi elongated shapev and said conduit is of tubular shape; and inwhich said apertures are peripherally arranged on said second element.

11. The mute claimed in claim 9. in which said first and second elementsare of truncated cone shape and the wide end of said first element isinserted in the wide end of said second element.

12. 'I'he mute claimed in claim 9, in which said first element isprovided with means adapted to form a packing with the bell of theinstrument, said packing serving to support the mute in the bell of theinstrument and preventing air currents to by-pass the mute.

13. The mute claimed in claim 9, in which spacing means are disposedbetween said first and second elements in the portion where said secondelement surrounds said rst element, said spacing means serving tomaintain the said elements in spaced position with respect to eachother.

14. The mute claimed in claim 7, in which said second element isprovided with an inside lining` of sound absorbing material.

15. A mut-e for wind instruments, comprising a rst element adapted to beinserted into the bell of a wind instrument, said rst element forming aninner chamber, a second element secured to said first element, saidsecond element forming an outer chamber, said first element beingprovided with an aperture establishing communication between said innerand outer chamber, said firstelement including a sound board.

16. The mute claimed in claim 15, in which said second element includesa sound board.

CHARLES SPIVAK.

